An Ohio man was charged with murder in the horrific beating death of 46-year-old Robin Denman and holding captive her 14-year-old daughter, who was bound for two days in their North Carolina residence.

Darren Campbell, the Iredell County Sheriff, told local press outlets on Tuesday that the two victims were brutally assaulted in what he referred to as a “demonic” offense.

Police charged 47-year-old Gary Love with the slaying and has been ordered to be held without bond. He is scheduled to appear back in court on January 3rd, WSOC reported.

Deputies discovered the lifeless body of Robin Denman on Monday morning after her 14-year-old daughter texted one of her friends for help.

The friend, 13-year-old Savannah Evans, showed Channel 9 the urgent message that she received from the victim the day after Christmas, which stated: “…call 911 me and my mom need help FAST!!”

The text was sent at approximately 5:30 am, but Evans saw it two hours later. She apologized for the late response, explaining to the victim that she was sleeping.

Immediately after receiving the text, the 13-year-old girl and her grandmother called the sheriff’s department asking to perform a welfare check at the home.

Officers who responded to the call were joined at the door by Gary Love, who informed them that Denman and her daughter were attending a funeral; he then escaped out of the back door but was captured soon after.

Denman’s daughter told authorities she was tied up since Christmas Eve and did not know where her mother was. The woman’s body was later found in a back room.

Her teen daughter was brought to a local hospital and is now in the custody of relatives. After her dramatic rescue, the girl sent her friend another text that said: “You’re a lifesaver.”

A spokesperson with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Department said to the Daily Mail that the 14-year-old girl managed to text for help after Gary Love went to sleep Monday and she managed to get a hold of her phone.

The teenage girl’s identity has not been revealed because it is believed that she was raped and authorities expect to charge the suspect with multiple counts of sexual assault.

Campbell noted that Love has been in North Carolina for nearly three months. He and Denman knew each other years ago when they lived in New York, and the mother-of-three allegedly let him crash on her couch, the Statesville Record and Landmark reported.

Local press outlets have also reported that Love is wanted in Ohio on an outstanding domestic violence warrant stemming from an incident that occurred in April, and he also had an order of protection against him.